Radio City Music Hall

I was there for what I remember as the last one they did in 1974. The most impressive thing for me was the start when a “sunrise” was created in house. Since Roxy was said to get his inspriation for the coves from a sunrise while he was on a cruise, the Easter “sunrise” was a natural with the house going dark, and then blue lights in the grilles, followed by the coves gradually coming up in blue as the grilles went to red, then red and blue lighting in the house with amber in the grilles, and then finally full amber house lighting accompanied with organ chimes. I saw it from the booth, and for anyone seated where they could see the full view of the house it looked great! I’m glad I got to see it at least once.

Well Bill, that’s because it is an amazing theatre. I am always happy when a new thread is posted here, I can’t get enough info about this magnificent hall. A special thanks to REendres for all his contributions.

Vito: The 3-D projection for the Christmas Show is with two 70mm projectors, interlocked and running at 30fps. Digital projection has been done from the front of the First Mezzanine with two projectors (one for backup) and the sound routed up to the booth and run through the cinema sound system. I left the Hall in 2000 to work for the company I’m working for now, but our technicians are in for premieres and special events, and I wander over every once in a while also to say, “Hi!” to my Music Hall “family”. Boston Light & Sound supplied the lamphouses, so I’ll have to check with their rep about the 35mm wattages since I frequently have dinner with him when he’s in town.
I did get a chance to see some of Leon Leonidoff’s 16mm footage of the stage shows. After he left he wrote asking me to send it to him, but at the time the case containing his film was in a jumble with the rest of our film library in the area behind the screen in our large screening room, and I didn’t know what I was looking for. When the 50th Anniversary Show came along, I found it and sent it along with other archival footage to California where it was incorporated into the multiple screen montage sequences projected during the show. Unfortunately, the producer of those sequences returned the footage in small chunks and I was never able to piece it back together. Leon did have color footage of “Rhapsody In Blue” and “Bolero” which looked pretty good considering the limitations of the stage lighting and 16mm film at the time. I’ve always felt badly that I didn’t realize that footage was what he was looking for and return it to him before his death.

Universal presents KING KONG. World Premiere Monday, 12 December 2005. Regular performances start Wednesday, 14 December 2005.
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Warren Thanks again, Have you seen the trailer for the new “King Kong” It looks good. I wonder if any one will have the brains to have the premier at the Music Hall,Wait we are talking about mnangement so i guess the answere will be no. Thanks again for the ad.

The reason why you probably cannot recall anything about this version is that it was very boring. This came right after the mediocre Promise at Dawn to be followed by a not very funny A New Leaf.
The stage show A Southern Medley had a sensational Rockette number called Bayou Rhythym and I’d sit through the whole thing all over again just to see it. This was also done with the film Picnic and unfortunately is lost to the ages. Why the current management of the Rockettes doesn’t insure the preservation of these routines is beyond me.

Wow, these comments hve spilled over to another page…I think!

As a New Yorker, I have only been to RCMH 4 times in my entire life. The first time when I was about 11, I went with my mother to see “The Unsinkable Molly Brown” a musical with Debby Reynolds and the stage show. I had to “GO Potty” during the movie, but I was afraid to leave my seat due to the overwhelming size of it. An usher showed me the way. I think it was on the second floor. The next time I wenr was in 1975 with “the crowd” to see GWTW. When blown up to 70mm for the huge screen, it looked like all the color was washed out of it. I did not enjoy it. The third time was in 1981 when the Grateful Dead did a 12 or 13 show stint. I( really did not care about theaters too much then, but the Dead, who played for almost 6 hours were teriffic!The last time was in 1995 for the X Mas show. I difd this with my mother, brother and sister-in-law. Enjoyed the show, but for the first time I really got to see the theater for what it is, and it made an impression on me that I will NEVER forget! Hope to go back soon.

I saw Fay Wray at that screening also. I was told recently that had Fay lived she was going to appear in the last scene of the King Kong remake that is being filmed now. Maybe that film could be premiered at Radio City like the original was. I would pay extra to see that.

How typically idiotic of Radio City not to have had recently a gala showing of King Kong with Fay Wray in attendance. The place would have been packed. She died only very recently and I saw her twice not that long ago at Film Forum. That was a real thrill sitting near her watching her watch herself in a film made by Stroheim in the 20’s. Mind blowing.
I should have asked her if she enjoyed Jungle Rhythms.

I was at the concert also. Is the projection equipment still installed? I was in the 3rd mezz. but I could not see thru the projection slots. I remember seeing “Gone With The Wind” there in 1989 and that was after the change-over.

Just got back from seeing The Moody Blues at Radio City. They put on their usual fine show, but even if the show was lousy it would’ve been enough just to be in the Hall again …

The Rockettes even put in an appearance. Only two of them, but two Rockettes are better than none. They got a great ovation when they did their high kicks with Moody Blues drummer Graeme Edge.